As a Matter of Fact
by Anonymous033
Summary: It started out as an invitation to lunch, but turned into something more. Tiva; multi-chapter. Fluff alert!
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: It started out as an invitation to lunch, but turned into something more.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS, didn't invent any of the foods mentioned here, and didn't come up with any of the quotes or lyrics written in the last chapter. If I did, I'd be really rich.**

**Spoilers: Vague references to 3x20: Untouchable and 7x02: Reunion. Doesn't matter if you've never seen them.**

**Whew. So this is the much needed fluffiness after For One Night. This story focuses on the interaction between Tony and Ziva rather than the plotline, although it is progressive. As with the TV series, the interaction here is a mixture of friendship and romance.**

**-_Soph_**

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**Chapter 1**

Ziva sighed happily as she powered down her computer and glanced up at the sunrays filtering in through the window. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and the fact that she had finally finished her paperwork made it seem almost magical. She smiled vaguely at the sunrays before getting out of her chair.

"Finished your work?" Tony asked enviously, looking up from the miniscule script on his table at his partner across the bullpen.

"Yes," Ziva beamed at him. "I see you have not finished yours, Tony."

"Yeah, rub it in," he muttered darkly as he continued writing.

"Oh, such a grumpy Tony," Ziva clucked her tongue sympathetically. "Well, that is what happens when you place a bet with McGee knowing that you will lose."

"I didn't know that I would lose!" Tony defended himself. "McGee cheated."

Ziva laughed. "You cheat all the time in your bets with him, Tony. The only difference now is that he beat you to it."

"He shouldn't have," Tony answered rather petulantly, and scowled. "Probies."

That made Ziva laugh again. She picked up her coat and bag, and was about to walk away when she stopped suddenly and said, "Do you want to get lunch, Tony?"

Tony frowned at her, bewildered. "Can't. Paperwork, remember?"

"No, I know." Ziva waved her hand impatiently. "I mean after you are done with the paperwork."

"It might take a while," Tony said doubtfully.

"I know. But I can tell from your face that you are hungry." Tony's stomach chose that inopportune moment to emphasize her point. "As I have nowhere to go for now, I thought we could grab lunch together."

"You could always bring something back for me," Tony said hopefully.

Ziva snorted. "No. I am not going to wait in line for an hour, Tony, just to get you your _famous barbeque burger_."

"That's only available for dinner, anyway," Tony retorted.

Ziva rolled her eyes. "However, I will wait for you here." She plunked down her bag and flopped back down into her chair, observing him like it was the most natural thing in the world to do.

Tony, for his part, was trying to figure out where the trick in that entire conversation was; Ziva was not acting like herself and he felt as if there were hidden cameras all around the room aimed at him, waiting for him to screw up. "Wait. Am I being Punk'd?"

Ziva shot him a confused look. "Punk'd?"

"You know, that MTV show with Ashton Kutcher, where he…nevermind." Tony gave up when Ziva's expression did not change. "Why are we going out for lunch again?"

"Because…do you not want to get lunch with me, Tony?" There was an odd lilt in Ziva's voice that made Tony unsure of his answer.

"I, uh…no! I'll grab lunch with you." He gulped.

Ziva furrowed her brows at him and then leant back in her chair, whipping out a book as she did so. "It is settled, then." She propped her feet up on the table.

Tony's eyes widened at her apparent need to have lunch with him, but wisely kept quiet and bent his head over his work. An hour later he finally cleared the stack on his desk. "I'm done."

Ziva grinned. "Good." She stowed her book in her bag. "I am so hungry."

Tony opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it. Instead, he said, "Alright, let's go."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Why'd you have to choose this place anyway?" Tony grumbled as they sat down at the table outside a café and watched the constant stream of people brush past them.

"They serve the best salads." Ziva answered, relaxing in her chair; she seemed to enjoy the people-watching more than he did.

"Salad! That's not real food. I'm really more of a…meat-and-potatoes kind of guy."

Ziva snorted a laugh and eyed his body up and down. "I can tell."

Tony looked down at his figure in dismay. "Gotta work out more," he mumbled, more to himself than to Ziva.

Ziva's eyes twinkled and she leant forwards. "Relax, Tony," she smiled coyly, "I think you are adequately muscular."

Tony resisted the urge to smile like an idiot. He was about to reply when the waitress appeared. She laid down their food and he held up his fork expectantly, saying, "Finally! I'm starving." The waitress gave him a disapproving look before walking off.

"I think that waitress does not like you, Tony," Ziva observed in amusement.

"What's not to like about me?" Tony asked absent-mindedly, poking at his salad with his fork.

"Oh, so many things." She began eating her salad sedately.

"Like what?" Tony looked up distractedly, his food forgotten.

"Your constant movie quotes, your fooling around at crime scenes, your -"

"If you find me such bad company, Ziva, then why'd you ask me to lunch?"

Ziva put down her fork and stared seriously at Tony. "I do not find you bad company, Tony. These qualities I mentioned, I find them…endearing." A flush crept up Tony's face. "However, other people might not."

He shrugged. "Well, you can't please everyone."

Ziva gave him an odd look before continuing to eat her salad.

"Seriously though, do you really find my qualities endearing?"

Ziva growled. "Drop it, Tony. BeforeI kill you with this fork."

The rest of the meal was spent in companionable silence, Tony's hunger and Ziva's threat enough to keep the movie quotes and fooling around at bay. When Tony finished his meal he leant back and patted his stomach contentedly. "That _was _good salad."

"I told you so." Ziva said unperturbedly.

"So how come you've never brought me here before?"

"Like you said, you are a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy."

"Then how come you're bringing me here now?"

Ziva froze with a forkful of salad halfway to her mouth, uncertain as to how to answer his question. She settled for putting the salad into her mouth and chewing noisily. Tony smirked and occupied his time by gazing around while she finished her salad.

"We shall go now, yes?" Ziva asked as she wiped her mouth on her napkin, eager to be home.

"Not yet." Tony leant over and dragged Ziva's chair, Ziva and all, to his side.

Ziva kicked his chair leg. "Do that again and I will make sure there will be no little DiNozzos running around."

Tony chose to ignore her statement. He said firmly, as if to a misbehaving child, "We people-watch now. While we digest our food."

Ziva made a face at him and crossed her arms. He patted her shoulder gently, soothing her. "It's the best way to learn American culture." He pointed. "See that guy over there with the cap? Big-time baseball fan. Probably been to every game there's been since he could walk."

And so people-watching was what the two of them did for the next few hours, not even noticing when the light blues of the sunny sky slowly became streaked with fiery reds, until the whole sky was set alight in flames.


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, I thought I should mention that this story doesn't progress in fixed periods of time; meaning that for some chapters, you can choose to interpret it as the day after the previous chapter, or as a month after with lots of things happening in between. This is one such chapter. Also, the _italics _in the chapters are used to signify emphasis, not movie titles. Other than that, happy reading :) Review please!**

**-_Soph_**

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**Chapter 3**

Ziva groaned at the particularly insistent knocking at her door. She hauled herself up off the couch and went to open it, a low growl in her throat. "What do you want?"

Tony grinned, undisturbed by her tone. "I got us dinner and a movie." He held up a pizza box and a rented DVD.

"I do not remember inviting you over, Tony," Ziva said, even as she stepped aside automatically to let him in. She read the title on the DVD case. "_P.S. I Love You_?"

"It's a chick flick, Zee-vah, haven't you ever heard of it?" Tony trotted into the living room and laid the pizza box down on the coffee table.

"As a matter of fact, I have, _Toh-nee_. I was just asking why you feel the need to get in touch with your feminine side."

Tony chuckled. "Sweetcheeks, I'm only helping _you_ get in touch with your feminine side." He patted the couch. "Sit."

Ziva reluctantly went back to the couch and sat. Tony raced around her apartment, gathering plates and popping the DVD into its player. He finally settled down next to her on the couch, smiling in satisfaction. "Have you ever watched P.S. I Love You before?"

"No."

"See that's why you have to watch it. You don't watch enough chick flicks, Ziva."

Ziva rolled her eyes. "Just play the DVD."

Tony played the DVD and they snuggled comfortably into the couch, each with a plate in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other. Ziva, despite her tough exterior, was riveted to the movie from the start; she did not even notice when Tony stopped watching the movie and started watching her instead.

When the movie ended she came back to reality with a start, the hairs on her neck rising all of a sudden. She turned to her right to find Tony's eyes drilling holes into her own. "What?" She asked in annoyance to cover up the fact that he had caught her off-guard.

"Nothing." Tony stared at her with an unreadable expression for a few more seconds before getting up and collecting the plates. "I'll go wash these."

Ziva held up her hand to stop him. "No. You brought the pizza, so I will clean up." She took the plates from him and went into the kitchen. He followed her and leant against the fridge while he watched her scrub the dishes.

"You know, you're an interesting woman."

"And why is that?"

"You act like an assassin at work, but come home and you get all misted up at love letters."

"I am an assassin."

"Yeah, but you also get all misted up at love letters." Tony slowly walked up to her and looked into her eyes. "It's nice to know you have feelings."

Ziva arched an eyebrow, even though her heart was thudding in her chest. "Are you saying I do not usually appear to have feelings, Tony?"

Tony thought for a while. "No. Sometimes you do." For some inexplicable reason he lifted up his hand and brushed it across her cheek. Ziva could feel the burning trails where his fingertips had been, and it was all she could do not to ask him to place his hand back where it had felt like it belonged.

They stood there gazing at each other for an eternity, before Tony said, "It's late; I should go."

Ziva accompanied him to the front door and sent him off. And when he was gone she closed the door and went to bed, vowing to herself never to forget the sweet memory of his touch upon her cheek.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Morning, sunshine," Tony greeted Ziva as soon as she entered the bullpen and headed to her desk.

"Morning, Tony." Ziva dropped her bag and removed her coat. She dug out something from her bag. "You forgot your DVD." She threw the DVD to Tony, who caught it neatly.

"Ahh, I thought you might want to watch it again."

"Even I, Tony, am not that soppy." Ziva powered up her computer.

"_Even _implies you're soppier than the average girl," Tony grinned wickedly, "Are you?"

Ziva ignored him and started to type on her keyboard.

"That intrigues me," Tony said with interest. "So what are we gonna watch if we don't watch this?"

Ziva stopped in the middle of typing and looked at him in astonishment. Undeterred, Tony sat up and looked back at her. "I was thinking of making this a regular thing."

"Watching movies?"

"That, and dinner."

"Why?"

"Cause it was fun! Oh c'mon, you have to admit that it beats sitting alone in front of the TV drinking beer."

"That is what only you do, Tony," Ziva pointed out.

"Well yeah," Tony said guiltily, "But I also know that you skip dinner when you get home late, and that's not good. Bad for your health. Doctors don't advise it. So I propose that I bring dinner to you, and all you have to do is sit back and let me serve you…Your Highness."

Ziva gave him a death glare, but seemed to be considering his words. "On the condition that I pick the movie. I do not want to have to sit through _Casino Royale _three nights in a row."

"Fair request, m'Lady." Tony gave a mock bow. "What is your first pick?"

There was a mischievous twinkle in Ziva's eyes. "Annie," she announced decisively.

Tony spluttered. "_Annie_?"

Ziva threw back her head and laughed. "You should see the look on your face, Tony."

"That wasn't funny," Tony replied grouchily.

"Actually it was. However, in all seriousness, I do not suppose you would watch The Sound of Music?"

"That I do. It's a classic, sweetcheeks; everyone watches it."

"Annieis not a classic?"

Tony scrunched up his face. "I don't know, actually. I should find out." He busied himself with typing on his keyboard.

"Are you Googling it?" Ziva asked in disbelief.

"Knowledge is power, Ziva," Tony answered without looking up.

Ziva felt compelled to roll her eyes again. "So we are having dinner and watching a movie together each time we work late?"

"Maybe in between, too," Tony answered cheerfully.

Ziva pondered on that. It turned out that she did not have a problem with it, so she shrugged and went back to work. A few moments later Tony's voice broke through her concentration again.

"How 'bout tonight?"

"What about tonight?"

"We'll watch The Sound of Music tonight. And have Ludovico Ristorante Italiano's pasta alla carbonara. It's delicious."

"You say that about everything. But I am willing to give it a try."

"Tonight then? I'll bring the pasta and the movie," Tony said hopefully.

Ziva smiled. "Yes. Tonight."

Tony punched a fist into the air, putting it down quickly when Gibbs walked in. He flashed his teeth at Ziva behind Gibbs's back. "It's a date."

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**I made up Ludovico Ristorante Italiano; don't go looking for it. Annie, however, is real, and you can go watch it. I just didn't think it was a Tony sort of thing (though I have been wrong before).**

**-_Soph_**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The team dragged themselves back into the bullpen, sitting down in their chairs with tired sighs. It had been a particularly long day; they had spent the first half of it attending a seminar and the second half of it searching for a missing little girl whose father had been murdered. They had found her huddled beside his grave, crying.

Tony and Ziva waited for Gibbs and McGee to pack up and leave before smiling wearily at each other. "Well, I guess it is dinner and a movie tonight," Ziva said to Tony, and the thought not entirely unwelcome to her.

"How 'bout we go for the fine dining experience instead?" Tony suggested.

"Fine dining?" Ziva said, startled.

"Yeah, you know, the dressing-up, the shiny silverware -"

"I know what fine dining is, Tony. Why are we doing it?"

Tony shook his head. "You ask a lot of 'why's. Can't you ever just go with the flow?"

"No, especially not at such an odd time." Ziva retorted tartly.

"C'mon!" Tony whined. "Just this once! Please?"

"I would rather not."

"I'll pay for your food."

"Why are you so insistent about going to an expensive restaurant, Tony?" Ziva asked in exasperation.

"Because one can only have that much pizza and Chinese food before one gets sick of it."

"We had Italian that one time." Ziva had to suppress a laugh when Tony groaned. "Alright. But only this once."

Tony leapt out of his chair like an excited dog.

"I need to change first," Ziva told him calmly. "I am not properly attired."

Tony scowled and grudgingly followed Ziva back to her apartment. His cheer soon returned, however, when he found that Ziva had changed into a strapless black dress.

"Wow," he said, his breath leaving him. "I feel underdressed now."

Ziva made a face at him. "Actually, you overdressed for work."

"I need to look professional," Tony replied as he opened the front door for her.

"_Toda_," she said, looking mystified. She picked up her purse and keys and went out ahead of him.

Dinner was pleasant, and the two chatted casually about work and friends. They decided halfway through it that Abby and McGee were decidedly not over each other, and that Ducky must have been a rather wild and adventurous lad in his younger days. It was nearing midnight when Tony finally drove Ziva home to her apartment.

"Well that was fun," Tony said as he stopped the car in front of the building.

"Yes, it was," Ziva agreed.

Tony gave a self-satisfied smile. "Dinner with a DiNozzo is always a fun experience."

Ziva smirked. "Then perhaps I should have dinner with your father."

Tony deflated, and Ziva laughed. She raised her hand to pat his cheek, but without really knowing why, she stopped and leant over to kiss him instead. "Thank you for dinner," she whispered, her breath hot upon his cheek.

A few heartbeats passed before Tony replied, his voice husky. "You're welcome."

Ziva leant into him for a few more moments, inhaling his scent; then she sat back. "See you tomorrow, Tony."

"Yeah," and Tony's voice carried a hint of something unidentifiable. He watched Ziva climb out of the car. "Bye." He made sure that she had entered her apartment building before speeding off into the night.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"We really shouldn't make this a habit," Tony groaned as they entered the door to Ziva's apartment. He struggled to nudge off his coat. "I can't even find the energy for my coat anymore."

Ziva chuckled and pulled off his coat with a fluid jerk before removing her own. "You are always the one who decides when we go fine dining, Tony."

"That's because you'd never decide to do it yourself. I'm just giving you the push that you need, sweetheart."

Ziva took off her shoes and padded barefoot into her kitchen. "Water or orange juice?" She called out. Tony opened his mouth, but before he could answer her, she added, "No beer. I know how many glasses of wine you had, Tony."

Tony grunted grumpily. "Just water, then." He settled himself on her couch.

Ziva returned with a glass of water in one hand and a glass of orange juice in the other. She put the glasses down on the coffee table and flopped down onto the couch beside Tony.

"It wasn't really fine dining today," Tony said, more to break the silence that suddenly hung in the air than anything else.

Ziva raised her eyebrows at him. "Sushi? I know, Tony."

"It was still good," Tony said defensively.

"It was," Ziva answered slowly, "I quite enjoyed it."

Tony found the opportunity too good to miss. "All the more proof that I know you well."

Ziva smacked his arm playfully. "You do not know everything about me."

"I know enough to know what foods you like," Tony retorted.

Ziva shuddered. "I have not forgotten the _barbeque burger_ episode."

Tony pretended to look hurt. "That was years ago! You're being unfair to a man, Ziva; holding on to his past mistakes like that."

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Ziva snuggled into Tony's side without really noticing it.

"George Santayana," Tony said quietly, cherishing the feel of her warm body against his. It was soft and comforting; a taste of what home should feel like.

"Yes." Ziva seemed glad that he had gotten the quote.

"See, I can't agree with him though. You might like the barbeque burger now that you've been in America for so many years."

"I _really_ doubt it, Tony."

"Even if you didn't, I know you now, so I wouldn't have bought it for you. What this means is that basically you're free to forget the past."

Ziva's lips twitched. "I am remembering just in case."

"Do you not trust me, Ziva?"

"No. I trust you," Ziva raised her eyes to Tony's, "But I do not think I can trust your taste in food."

"You hurt me." Tony put on an aggrieved expression.

The ghost of a smile drifted across Ziva's lips. "It is not enough that I trust you to have my back?"

Tony slung an arm around Ziva, hugging her to his side. "On second thought, maybe it's enough."

Ziva let out her breath and relaxed into Tony's touch. Tony did not notice until her breathing had evened out that she had fallen asleep curled up against his side, somehow perfectly at peace with being held by him. And he had to smile at that.

He wondered if he should leave, but Ziva shifted just then and the scent of her hair drifted up to him. It was a mixture of spices and a kind of flower; it left him yearning for more. He inhaled deeply and her smell practically made him giddy. So he decided that he wanted to stay after all, just so he could hold Ziva to him for the entire night. His arm, and Ziva, would probably kill him in the morning, but it was worth it anyway. Smiling, he settled his head on top of Ziva's brown curls and closed his eyes.


	7. Chapter 7

**Alright, last chapter! It's a bit longer than the others, because of all the quotes. Be patient! It gets better at the end :D**

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**Chapter 7**

"Tony, time to get up."

Ziva's voice broke into Tony's unconscious like a shard of glass, pulling away the remnants of his pleasant dream with it. He opened his eyes blearily to find the object of it standing in front of him, bedecked in an apron and holding a plate of food. She set down the plate and waited for him to wriggle into a sitting position before saying, "What are you doing here?"

"I don't know," Tony mumbled, his speech still slurred with sleep. "I just felt like staying."

"Oh." Ziva looked bemused at that.

"I'm sorry." Tony's brain was getting clearer and clearer by the second, and the inappropriateness of falling asleep with his work partner in his arms was dawning on him.

Ziva looked at him quietly for a while. "It is okay," she finally said.

"I can leave now if you want," Tony offered, even though he did not really want to.

"No." Ziva jerked her head at the plate on the coffee table. "I made you breakfast."

Tony looked at the plate. It had two pieces of toast with a dollop of homemade strawberry jam, a pile of baked beans, and a fried egg, sunny side up. "Wow, it's like room service," he said, sounding impressed.

Ziva made an indistinguishable noise with her throat and left the room. She came back without an apron and with her own plate of breakfast. They ate together in silence, Ziva having to occasionally slap away Tony's hand as he reached over to steal her baked beans.

Tony finished first and sat back to watch Ziva. "Okay, I can leave _now_," he said when she had put the last piece of egg into her mouth.

Ziva swallowed. "You have to do the dishes first."

Tony went to do the dishes. When he came back Ziva was stretched out across the carpet, staring up at the ceiling with her arms behind her head. He was surprised; this was a side of her that he had never seen before. She looked at him and said, "I was wondering about what we could do today."

Tony cleared his throat in response.

Ziva flipped over onto her stomach. "I want to test you on your knowledge of quotes," she announced, "Since you did so well last night."

"What, with Santayana? It's a pretty famous quote. Wasn't too hard to guess."

Ziva smiled. "I will start with something famous then. 'I have a dream today'."

"Alright. Martin Luther King, Jr. His 'I Have a Dream' speech in 1963."

"Very good. 'The secret impresses no one. The trick you use it for is everything'."

"You practically gave that one to me. Alfred Borden, The Prestige."

"I am only luring you into a false sense of security, Tony," Ziva replied sweetly. "'No man is free who works for a living'."

"The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Illya Kuryakin. Haven't you got anything harder?"

Ziva's lips curved into a smile. "'It started out as a feeling, which then grew into a hope; which then turned into a quiet thought, which then turned into a quiet word'."

"You cheated! Those are song lyrics. The Call, by Regina Spektor. Nice song, by the way."

Ziva laughed. "I am surprised you know it. Okay. Here is a hard one. 'I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do'."

Tony paused and thought for a long time. "To Kill a Mockingbird…Harper Lee. Spoken by Atticus Finch."

Ziva sat up and looked intently at Tony. "I am impressed."

Tony grinned. "I have hidden talents you don't know about, Zee-vah."

"Okay. Last one. 'For you see, each day I love you more. Today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow'."

"Rosemonde Gerard." Tony could not resist adding, "Did you mean that?"

Suddenly the room fell silent, and Ziva looked miserable. Tony stared at her in astonishment.

"I was just joking." The words fell from his lips like a dropping pin breaking the silence.

"I know." Ziva did not look any less miserable.

Tony contemplated Ziva for a few more moments. Then he moved forwards and enveloped her in his arms, placing a kiss on her temple. "I still hope you mean it."

And just like that, Ziva's head was buried deep in his chest and she was hugging him for all she was worth. She did not say anything, but she did not need to for Tony to know what she meant, simply because he always knew her.

"I love you, Ziva," he whispered into her hair.

And her voice came out muffled, but the message was still loud and clear.

"I love you too."

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**Tada! I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks to everyone who read, put out alerts, favourited, and reviewed! You so totally kept me going. Of course, please review this chapter too!**

**And because I'm too used to doing reference lists in college, here's where I found the quotes:**

George Santayana quote - **NowPublic, 2007 (author: denseatoms)**

Martin Luther King, Jr quote - **Wikiquote, 2010**

The Prestige and The Man from U.N.C.L.E quotes - **IMDb, 2011**

The Call song lyrics - **metrolyrics, 2010**

To Kill a Mockingbird and Rosemonde Gerard quotes - **The Quote Garden, 2010**

**Remember, I don't own any of the quotes, lyrics, or websites!**

**- _Soph_**


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